Chiff and Fipple Forums

Some additions to The List (added to the main List in the OP):

David O'Brien in Clare. Not to be confused with the eponymous Canadian Whistle Maker who is a C&F member! Simple website. Apparently good value prices, but I can't comment on the flutes beyond what's to be seen on the website. Anyone have any experience of these?

Luc Verhoeven in Belgium - very nice website well worth a browse, although be warned, he's a baroque specialist - but the flute making processes etc, illustrated are very interesting. Thanks for the heads-up on this one to I.D.10-t.

Howel Roberts - wooden headjoints for and complete Boehm flutes.

There is a complete gentleman (is the best term I can use to describe him), originally from Fermanagh, but now living in Derry City called Cyril McGuire. Cyril makes some lovely flutes, but as he has a full-time job teaching in a local College here, I'd say he wouldn't have the time to make them on a large scale.

I've tried a few of them, along with Cathal McConnell and we both agreed they were lovely instruments. Cathal is originally a Fermanagh man himself, so he's been a close friend of Cyril's this lifetime.

I still play a 3 keyed Sam Murray flute (made left handed especially for me some 17+ odd years ago, when I upgraded from a keyless Sam Murray flute, even though I'm right-handed, just the way I learned to play the whistle) and I really do still love and cherish that flute.

Anyhow, I thought I'd just mention Cyril's name, for the purposes of the list, so he can be recorded in the "Annals" I suppose.

Best,

Murrough

Postscript: All the names that I've recognised on the list look great, and this looks like a truly fantastic resource. Well done in compiling it!

Pete worell is making Crwon A z copies for Loyalist and other marching bands and he also makes headjoints and Alto flutes reckoned to be one of the best in England.

http://freespace.virgin.net/pete.worrel ... orrell.htm

david quinn wrote:Pete worell is making Crwon A z copies for Loyalist and other marching bands and he also makes headjoints and Alto flutes reckoned to be one of the best in England.

http://freespace.virgin.net/pete.worrel ... orrell.htm

Thanks David - nice website. Added.

http://ernemusicsupplies.com/

Here is another maker Jem I believe they will be producing Irish Style flutes and they do repairs as well.

It says they have done repairs for Cathal Mcconnell and Eddie Duffy who i believe are fine traditional musicians.

David

david quinn wrote:http://ernemusicsupplies.com/

Here is another maker Jem I believe they will be producing Irish Style flutes and they do repairs as well.

It says they have done repairs for Cathal Mcconnell and Eddie Duffy who i believe are fine traditional musicians.

David

Hi David, thanks for the heads-up on this one, and sorry I've been a bit slow considering it. I've now had a good look at the website and I'm not convinced they are actually making any flutes themselves - certainly they would appear to be importing and rebranding probably Chinese made instruments in the Boehm flute part of their catalogue..... that's not necessarily a criticism as such and doing that kind of thing is a time-honoured tradition in itself. I'd suspect the band flutes are most likely made in Pakistan or India for them.......... I also find the fact they don't make any mention of what pitch standards their instruments are at nor acknowledge the sources of the things they buy in a little worrying. They obviously do repair work and deal in antique flutes, so perhaps they belong in the dealers section of The List? Pending some kind of confirmation about their true status, I'm holding off adding them. I don't propose to to make enquiries myself, but if you or anyone else wants to and lets me know the outcome, I'll list them wherever it becomes apparent they belong.

Murrough, also apologies for tardy consideration. On the face of what you wrote about Cyril Maguire, it wouldn't be appropriate to list him according to the criteria explained in the OP, unless he has in fact got a website you haven't mentioned and is reasonably regularly offering flutes for sale or taking orders. Thanks anyway.

I'd like to ad Romy Benton to your list of flute makers. For a few years now I've tried his flutes at a local musical instrument makers show, and thought they were nice, but never bought one. This year a bought a G minor and have been blown away with it. I think it's a great flute! It a tremendously fun flute to play. It's got me wanting a Bb so I can play in D.

Most of the flutes he makes are in minor scales, but he will make them in major scales also. His web page is http://www.romyb.com/

Cheers,

Tom

Tjones wrote:I'd like to ad Romy Benton to your list of flute makers. For a few years now I've tried his flutes at a local musical instrument makers show, and thought they were nice, but never bought one. This year a bought a G minor and have been blown away with it. I think it's a great flute! It a tremendously fun flute to play. It's got me wanting a Bb so I can play in D.

Most of the flutes he makes are in minor scales, but he will make them in major scales also. His web page is http://www.romyb.com/

Cheers,

Tom

That was fun. Nice pictures of some beautiful flutes. Can you give us an idea of the price range at all?

Michael

Tjones wrote:I'd like to ad Romy Benton to your list of flute makers. For a few years now I've tried his flutes at a local musical instrument makers show, and thought they were nice, but never bought one. This year a bought a G minor and have been blown away with it. I think it's a great flute! It a tremendously fun flute to play. It's got me wanting a Bb so I can play in D.

Most of the flutes he makes are in minor scales, but he will make them in major scales also. His web page is http://www.romyb.com/

Cheers,

Tom

Thanks Tom - had a quick, non-exhaustive browse of the website - some good stuff there - would be worth some longer attention in due course! Added.

mahanpots wrote:

Tjones wrote:I'd like to ad Romy Benton to your list of flute makers. ... Most of the flutes he makes are in minor scales, but he will make them in major scales also. His web page is http://www.romyb.com/

Cheers,

Tom

That was fun. Nice pictures of some beautiful flutes. Can you give us an idea of the price range at all?

Michael

I'd be interested in any pricing information as well. He does make a pretty flute, doesn't he?

I paid $165.00 for the G minor, he said he spends a lot of time refining the bore along with the lip plate. Most of his flutes seemed reasonable to me, for the amount of energy he devotes.

Tom

New addition to the main list, Paul Windridge - nice website, well worth a visit. (Found thanks to a link regarding the "Brinklow Pipe" from Brigitte in a thread on the Whistle Forum - thanks Brigitte!)

Michael Vignoles has been mentioned recently on this forum and I am willing to add his name to the list if anyone can tell us a bit more about him and his flutes - I've visited his website but it is devoid of any real information - certainly insufficient on its own to justify his inclusion. Any comments based on direct experience of his flutes (i.e. not just his bodhrans and uillean pipes) would be helpful.

Thanks to kirikee for an update on Phil Bleazey - new link now substituted in The List - and a useful website it is too, though one puzzlement: there is no mention of or link to his whistles, making me wonder if he has ceased or reduced to special order his making of them.

I'll also mention while making a post that I recently met Louis Jourdan of La Flute en Chantier (see main list) whilst at the Lorient Festival Interceltique, where he had a stall - some very well made Pratten style keyless instruments on display which played very nicely, and a particularly nice low Bb, though that did, to my mind, desperately need an "Eb" key. Louis was also a very approachable, interesting and interested guy - he cast a knowing and appreciative eye over my R&R and the other flutes I had in my bag and we chatted about them and about his flutes (as best we could in a pidgin mixture of French, English and Flutese!).

Addition now in main List, Claire Soubeyran, link acquired from recent thread on Solen Lesouef which digressed into woman flute makers! (Thanks, Sillydill.) An excellent website - good commentary (seemingly only in French, though) nice pics, fine range of flutes, very interesting looking discography of performances on her instruments...... well worth a visit. I'd suggest her Tulou model 8-keys might be an excellent option to consider for those with narrow finger tips/hand-size issues - these types of French flutes, though small-holed, are NOT quiet, though they may not lend themselves to a typical ITM/C19th post-Nicholson English school tone-colour.

New listing - very nice looking wooden heads for Boehm flutes and also bamboo flutes.... David Chu

Thanks to talasiga for the headsup.

Also added Glens Falls Fifes